You’re here because you want to learn the Butterfly Guard, aka Hooks Guard. That’s great news because you came to the right place. Not only are we going to define and understand what this intriguing guard is, but we also are going to cover many finishing moves from it.
Finishing moves are either sweeps or sweeps that lead to submissions. Typically, they’ll come together, as you’ll see in the following sections.
There’s so much to learn about the Butterfly Guard, and I hope you’re as excited as I am. I’ve been able to broaden my knowledge regarding this type of guard by researching and summarizing these techniques. You can now read in a few minutes—work that took me many hours—which I hope you can appreciate.
We’ll start with the basic stuff, such as the fundamentals of this guard. Then, we’ll advance into more advanced moves, such as sweeping the opponent and finishing with a submission.
You’ll see how everything connects real soon. So I hope you’re ready to dive in, as it’s one of BJJ’s most effective and dominant positions you can be in!
Butterfly Guard Fundamentals
The Butterfly Guard, aka Hooks Guard, is one of BJJ’s most popular and dominant types of guard which you want to familiarize yourself with. It allows you many options, such as submitting and sweeping the opponent, getting a much bigger advantage.
Now before we get into the fundamentals of this position, we want to see what it is. This section is particularly important for those unsure what the Butterfly Guard looks like. So what is it and what does it look like?
The Butterfly Guard is when you’re in bottom and hook your legs around the opponent’s hamstrings (or hips.) It’s effective and dominant because it allows you to hook the opponent’s upper and lower body, which in return gives you control and maneuverability.
Overhooks and underhooks are extremely powerful since they give you A LOT of control. With the right hooks, you’ll be able to maneuver the opponent according to what you want to achieve and not the other way around.
Now, let’s dive into the fundamentals of the Butterfly Guard you want to know about.
#1 – Hook your legs (Sticky Hooks)
The first basic thing to understand about the Butterfly Guard is that you want to hook your feet tightly on the opponent’s thighs. Don’t be afraid of getting your feet real deep under the opponent’s legs.
This will give you more control and allow you to elevate the opponent without allowing him to pass your guard. Once you elevate your opponent to go for a sweep, he’ll be able to escape your hold and pass your guard—if you don’t have “Sticky Leg Hooks”.
I call them sticky leg hooks because your feet have to stick to the opponent’s thigh when you go for a sweep. If the opponent is able to escape your hold, then you’ve failed to maintain the guard.
#2 – Use overhooks and underhooks
The 2nd fundamental is to use your hands for underhooks and overhooks. You have to use your hands as a source of more control if you desire to become somewhat successful using this position.
As we’ll see in the following parts of this article, you need to use your hands to control and maneuver the opponent. Can you imagine flipping your opponent to the side and attaining Full Mount solely with your legs? I think not!
We’ll see how you can use under and overhooks in the following sections of this article. So stick through!
#3 – Momentum is your friend
Another critical principle to understand is momentum. Sweeping, as you’ll see in the 2nd part of this article, will require you to use leverage and momentum to your advantage.
If you’re going to sweep an opponent much bigger than you, you can’t just use your body weight and strength to finish the fight. Instead, you’ll need to use momentum, leverage. You’ll generate more of these by using your legs and hands as leverage to boost acceleration and sweep the opponent easily.
That’s the basic principle of momentum concerning the Butterfly Guard. I know you currently don’t know to apply these principles, but it’s critical you understand these first before we review the different submissions and moves.
#4 – Your goal is to elevate the opponent
The primary result you want to achieve with your Butterfly Guard is to elevate the opponent. I know you don’t know what that would lead to, but that’s your goal. It’s to be chest-to-chest with your training partner and have him be on the air.
You’ll want to be on bottom guard while holding your opponent elevated above you. Once you attain this position—you can go for a sweep and finish off with a submission, which is your initial intention.
Many sweeps will begin with you elevating the opponent. Now this can be quite difficult and unintuitive at first. However, it’s quite simple.
Make sure to hook your feet firmly on his thighs, making him stuck when you elevate him. Likewise, use momentum through your hands by overhooking and underhooking each of your hands (you’ll see how to do that flawlessly soon!)
Then, you’ll need to use both your lower body and upper body (legs and arms) to lean backward and bring the opponent with you. Finally, you’ll lift the opponent up and elevate him using your leg hooks.
#5 – Two types of sweeps
The last fundamental we’ll review is the fact that there are two types of sweeps. The first is a chest-to-chest sweep, while the second is, as you can guess, a non-chest-to-chest sweep.
For the most part, chest-to-chest sweeps are more powerful because they allow you to control the opponent’s center of gravity, giving you more to play around with.
In the following sections, we’ll review some sweeps you want to know about if you desire to master the Butterfly Guard. We’ll review both chest-to-chest and non-chest-to-chest. So you’ll enjoy both worlds
Without further Chit Chat, let’s dive in!
Butterfly Guard Sweeps
This section will be all about sweeps from the Butterfly Guard position. These are critical to understanding because they’ll allow you to make offensive moves on the opponent. They’ll be your offensive means, to say nicely.
That’ll be key in your BJJ game. You want to know how to create these openings and attacks which will allow you, in turn, to submit the opponent effectively and quickly. There isn’t much of a better option than that!
So now, let’s take a look at the first, most common, sweep.
#1 – Butterfly Sweep
The Butterfly Sweep is a technique you want to familiarize yourself and get comfortable with. It’ll allow you to attain the Full Mount or Side Control positions; which one you choose is up to you.
Anyways, I have a complete guide to the Butterfly Sweep on my website already. Here’s the definition I gave in this article:
The Butterfly Sweep is a move that allows you to transition from the Butterfly Guard to the Full Mount position. Some grapplers prefer to get side control, but it’s a preference. This sweep is an extremely effective one because it’s hard to escape from, especially if the attacker is an advanced grappler.
Butterfly Sweep Guide – Blinklift
If you want to read a step-by-step breakdown of this sweep, here it is:
- Start in the Butterfly Guard
- Grab the opponent’s right arm
- insert your left arm below the opponent’s shoulder
- Grip his back (if wearing a Gi)
- Pull the opponent
- Knock him off-balance (toward you)
- Use the mat to generate force
- Sweep him over
- Attain Full Mount
As you can see, it’s not that hard to learn and execute. You’ll be able to grasp its basics and start sweeping the opponent in no time, which is fantastic news!
Definitely learn this sweep as your first one, if you don’t know any.
This sweep, as you saw, is chest-to-chest, making it more effective.
#2 – Straight Arm Lock Sweep
The Straight Arm Lock Sweep is one you want to learn early on in your Butterfly Guard journey. It’s a simple move, which will allow you to attain Full Mount without too many complications.
The hooks you’ll leverage in this case are an underhook and an overhook that’ll be between the opponent’s arm (the one you’re isolating) and his head. You’ll then lock your hands together.
From that point, all that’s left is to lean backward and use your legs as leverage to flip the opponent and gain the Mount position.
Here’s what that would look like:
- Start in Butterfly Guard
- Underhook the opponent’s right arm
- Hook your other arm between his same arm and head
- Lock your hands
- Tuck your head in
- Slide your left leg under your other knee
- Lean backward
- Use your legs for leverage
- Flip the opponent upside down
- Attain Full Mount
#3 – Underhook Sweep
While I’m not sure what this sweep is called, it’s not important. You’ll be able to start getting the upper hand in fights if you decide to gain experience with it.
What this move utilizes is underhooking the opponent’s close arm. Then, you’ll grab his biceps and pull it toward you. That’s to ensure he can’t frame to escape your sweep. It’s also why you want to avoid extending the arm that you pull toward you, as that’ll help your opponent to frame, which you want to avoid.
Then, all that’s left is to use your underhook and pulling motion as leverage. To finish this sweep and attain the Full Mount, you’ll be flipping the opponent upside down using your legs. Once you pull his triceps toward you, you’ll place one foot on the mat and use the other to lift one of the opponent’s legs.
This will create a lot of force you’ll be able of generating without needing to be particularly strong. This is why this sweep works so well!
- Start in Butterfly Guard
- Underhook the opponent’s left arm
- Grab his other triceps
- Pull it toward you
- Avoid extending his arm
- Post one foot on the mat
- Use your other leg to lift the opponent’s close leg
- In one swift motion, flip the opponent
- Attain Full Mount
You can also attain Side Control if you’d like.
This is also a chest-to-chest sweep.
Submissions From the Butterfly Guard
Alright. We’re now in the last part of this article. By now, you know what the Butterfly Guard is, its fundamentals, and how to sweep from it. The one missing part is submissions.
You want to be able to get a tap from the opponent from this wonderful guard position. It’ll be worth it to invest your time into learning and understanding it, as you’ll be able to finish and win fights using these moves.
So let’s go over a few to ensure you know how to finish BJJ fights effectively!
#1 – Triangle Choke
The 1st submission we’ll review is the Triangle Choke, one of BJJ’s most popular and effective chokes. You can transition to the Triangle from many positions. And one of these positions is the Butterfly Guard.
It’s fairly easy to execute and will take only a few steps. Here’s what that would look like:
You first begin in the Butterfly Guard and get an underhook using your right arm. You then wait for the opponent to post to the side, not allowing you to sweep. Next, you place your right foot on the opponent’s back.
Once you’re in this position, hook your other foot around the opponent’s neck and arm. Finally, you twist to your left while locking the Triangle Lock with your legs and finish this choke.
You don’t need to perform and pre-sweep to perform this variation. It’ll be uncomplicated to execute it if you place your right leg on the opponent’s back and lean back. Then, you want to use it as leverage; leverage to hook your other leg around the opponent’s head.
#2 – Kimura
The Kimura is a highly effective submission in BJJ. It uses shoulder hyperextension, which can be unbearable, forcing your opponent to tap quickly. You can speed up the time it takes to get a tap by performing it correctly.
Follow this link to learn to perform the Kimura correctly and get more taps, and more often.
You first begin in the Butterfly Guard. Then, you use two underhooks and pull your opponent toward you. Next up, you bring your right hand around his head and isolate his arm. Finally, you lean back, grab his wrist with your left hand, and hyperextend his shoulder.
#3 – D’arce Choke
The D’arce Choke is a submission taught in BJJ and MMA that utilizes a bicep grip to inflict a lot of pressure on the opponent’s neck. Once you wrap one of your arms around your opponent’s neck, you bring your other arm and lock them (bicep grip.) Then, you finish by applying neck pressure.
BJJ 101: D’arce Choke (Lots of Variations)
Here’s how to perform the D’arce Choke from the Butterfly Guard position:
- Your opponent is in Butterfly Guard
- Underhook the opponent (with right arm)
- Pull his head to you and down
- Lock a Kimura Grip (grab your left wrist)
- Push his head down
- Switch to a Gable Grip
- Fall to the side
- Extend your arms
- Roll through
- Grab your left biceps
- Squeeze
- Wait for the tap
You’ll be able to get many taps using this variation, as many people don’t expect you to go for it. It might be more effective to get an underhook and try to sweep the opponent.
However, in this variant, you’re pulling the opponent toward you and sliding your arm under his armpit, eventually looking for his neck. This is why it can be more effective than what most grapplers would do from this position, as fewer grapplers expect it.
Final Words
This is it for the Butterfly Guard today. I cover it more in my other articles, such as in many of my BJJ technique breakdowns. When you can perform a submission from this effective guard, I typically mention and break it down.
So I encourage you to read more of my instructional posts, so you can boost your learning and BJJ skills.
The Butterfly Guard isn’t the most effective guard type. Follow this link to learn more about BJJ’s best guard positions you must learn (and how to use each one!)
Here are other articles you’d enjoy reading:
BJJ 101: Reverse De La Riva Guard
X-Guard – BJJ 101 (How to Use and Finish)
BJJ 101: Spider Guard (The Proper Way)
BJJ 101: De La Riva Guard (Sweeps & Submissions)
Closed Guard 101 – Complete BJJ Guide
Pull Guard BJJ – Everything You Need to Know
13 Best Submissions From Closed & Open Guard (BJJ)
11 Best Half Guard Submissions From Top and Bottom
BJJ 101: Half-Guard (And How to Finish From It)